PhD-candidate position in Agrarian History within the ERC project TransRein (Uppsala)

RHN 96/2024 | Opportunity

ERC-funded project TransRein – Social transformation in the transition to large-scale reindeer husbandry

Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden

Deadline for applications: 31 August 2024

 

Department of Urban and Rural Development

The doctoral position is located at the Department of Urban and Rural Development, we conduct undergraduate education, doctoral education, research, and collaboration across five divisions: Agrarian History, Landscape Architecture, Rural Development, Environmental Communication and the Division of Political Science and Natural Resource Management. This division includes Sida's Helpdesk for Environment and Climate Change and the SLU Swedish Biodiversity Centre (CBM). Additionally, we house the SLU Center for Nature Interpretation (CNV). As the largest department within the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) for social sciences, humanities, and design, our focus lies on questions related to the sustainable use of natural resources and landscapes in our research, teaching, and collaborative efforts. The department is comprised of approximately 180 dedicated individuals.

The doctoral student is placed at the division of agrarian history. Agrarian history is about agrarian production and technological development, social and economic conditions, the people in agrarian society and their relationship to nature, the landscape and society at large.

Read more about our benefits and what it is like to work at SLU at https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/work-at-slu/


Name of research project/thesis

TransRein – Social transformation in the transition to large-scale reindeer husbandry


Description:

The PhD student we are looking for will be part of the ERC-funded project TransRein. TransRein is about the sweeping change that took place in northern Eurasia, from the Atlantic coast to the Bering Strait, during the early modern era when an economy based on hunting and fishing and small reindeer herds transitioned to large-scale reindeer husbandry. It was a change that fundamentally affected people and societies. In the doctoral project, one aspect of this change will be studied, the social consequences, and it will be done in a Sami context. The thesis work will therefore touch on issues such as: heritage, gender, social justice, division of labor, households, networks and social relations, all about indigenous peoples. The doctoral project's design and exact questions are drawn up in collaboration between the supervisors and the person receiving the position.

During the four-year doctoral period, the doctoral student must devote themselves to their own doctoral education, which includes participation in research projects, writing a doctoral thesis and taking doctoral education courses corresponding to 90 credits (an application to change to 75 credits is under preparation, but not yet decided). Up to one semester will be spent at the Ostrom Workshop at Indiana University in Bloomington, USA. Department service, such as organizing workshops and seminars, of a maximum of 20% may be relevant in addition to the four-year doctoral period. The doctoral student will work together with colleagues within TransRein and carry out an independent doctoral project. The doctoral project is a development of the department's successful work in studying early modern natural resource use and jointly owned resources. Research leader for TransRein is associate professor Jesper Larsson.

Qualifications:

In order to be eligible for education at postgraduate level, a degree at advanced level or at least four years of full-time studies, of which at least one year at advanced level, is required. For the position in question, it is required that the degree/studies have been in history, economic history, ethnology or other historical disciplines or equivalent. Good knowledge of Swedish or Norwegian and English, both spoken and written, is required. Experience of reading early modern handwritten sources in Swedish is an asset. TransRein is an interdisciplinary project and experience and an interest in such work is in demand. The applicant must be systematic and thorough, curious and critical, have good collaboration skills and at the same time be able to work independently, which makes the personal qualities important.

Application requirements:

The application must contain:

 (i) a letter (maximum 2 A4 pages), describing your research interests and qualifications and how these fit the advertised position

(ii) complete CV, list of publications (if any) and contact details

(iii) PDF files of courses from bachelor's and master's degrees

(iv) a copy of thesis at master's or bachelor's level

(v) at least two (academic) reference persons with contact details.

Place of work:       

Uppsala

Forms for funding or employment:

Employment as a doctoral student 

Starting date:

January 1, 2025

Application:

More Information here
The deadline is 2024-08-31.

To qualify for third-cycle (Doctoral) courses and study programmes, you must have a second-cycle (Master’s) qualification. Alternatively, you must have conducted a minimum of four years of full-time study, of which a minimum of one year at second-cycle level.

Applicants will be selected based on their written application and CV, degree project, copies of their degree certificate and transcript of records from previous first and second-cycle studies at a university or higher education institution, two personal references, and knowledge of English. More information about the English language requirements can be found here: https://www.slu.se/en/education/programmes-courses/doctoral-studies/application-admission-doctoral-studies/english-language-requirements/

Please note that applicants invited to interview must submit attested copies of their degree certificate, or equivalent, a transcript of records from previous first and second-cycle studies at a university or higher education institution. Applicants who are not Swedish citizens need to submit an attested copy of their passport’s information page containing their photograph and personal details.

Read about the PhD education at SLU at www.slu.se/en/education/programmes-courses/doctoral-studies/

Academic union representatives:

https://internt.slu.se/en/my-employment/employee-associations/kontaktpersoner-vid-rekrytering/


Contact person
Jesper Larsson
Docent/associate professor
+46 (0)18 67 18 53
Jesper.Larsson@slu.se

 

 

 

 

Source: https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/work-at-slu/jobs-vacancies/